Nature Reading- Final Essay

Do you feel, as one letter writer did, that there is “nothing positive at all about Chris McCandless’ lifestyle or wilderness doctrine …surviving a near death experience does not make you a better human it makes you damn lucky” (116); or do you see something admirable or noble in his struggles and adventures?

Into The Wild’s Chris McCandless’ near death experiences are debated by many to “not make you a better human”, only “damn lucky.” I see his experiences and actions admirable and noble. I do not see McCandless’ lifestyle in the wild as a negative experience because he enjoyed his adventures, he inspired others and he followed his calling to live off the land.

Prior to his departure, Chris McCandless was unsatisfied with his life. Issues with his family left him almost confused about what he was left to make of himself. Attending an expensive university did not satisfy his hunger for adventure and independence. He drove his to Lake Mead in his Datsun which he loved with all of his heart, and camped there for a few days before setting off to resume on foot. “But this is not important. It is the experiences, the memories, the great triumphant joy of living to the fullest extent in which real meaning is found…”Page 37(chapter 4)This quote supports my position best. Chris McCandless wanted the most out of life. Disappointed by the confined rules, laws and structures of human life, he simply “dismembered” himself from it. “Two years he walks the earth…No longer to be poisoned by civilization he flees, and walks alone upon the land to become lost in the wild.”Page 163(chapter16.) His journeys left him free, a man in the wild. Traveling through different conditions and uncharted lands, he died happy and at peace with everything he had done. Chris McCandless changed his name to something a little more fitting to his personality. He escaped his past and became Alex Supertramp. Many of the people he encountered would come to know him of this.

Chris McCandless left a major impression on several of the people he met along the way of his journey. Wayne Westerberg ran the Carthage grain elevator where Chris worked on and off for periods of time. There, he met Gail Borah, a “petite, sad eyed woman,” who became close with Chris over time. “He was shy at first.” Everyone grew to love him. Mrs. Westerberg was especially intrigued by Alex. “There was something fascinating about him…I can’t get him out of my mind. I keep picturing his face-he sat in the same chair you’re sitting in now. Considering that I only spent a few hours in Alex’s company, it amazes me how much I’m bothered by his death.” No matter how much time Alex spent with someone, he always seemed to rub off something onto them, leaving them with something they never would have known had he not of marched into the wild. Ronald Franz was an older man who considered Alex a son. He lived out in Salton City at the Oh-My-God-Hot Springs, where he sheltered himself from everyone. He was a devout Christian who had freed himself from his addiction to alcohol. Alex left Ron a piece of advice. “Ron, you must lose your inclination for monotonous security and adopt a helter-skelter style of life that will at first appear to you to be crazy. But once you become accustomed to such a life you will see its full meaning and its incredible beauty. And so, Ron, in short, get out of Salton City and Hit the Road.” Page 57 (chapter 6) This advice stood out to me more than any other quote in the book. The reason is it is so directed towards Alex’s want for his well being and happiness. He realized that happiness is not an object but an experience that can only come from faith and trust. Ron took his advice and no longer lives at the Oh My God Hot Springs. He sought out for a better life, traveling to various locations, seeking happiness.

He did it. Alex McCandless put his thoughts into actions when he made the decision to free himself of a materialistic lifestyle. Most people talk about it, wishing they had the power and courage to be free from responsibility and a routine life. “So many people live within unhappy circumstances and yet will not take the initiative to change their situation because they are conditioned to a life of security, conformity, and conservatism, all of which may appear to give one peace of mind, but in reality nothing is more damaging to the adventurous spirit within a man than a secure future.”Page 57 (chapter 6.) Alex saw this lifestyle and personal situation, and freed himself from becoming the unhappy person he talks about in his letter to Ronald Franz. I believe this is a brave and admirable action that everyone who reads this book considers doing themselves. If not, then they did not understand his message.“He had given $25,000 in savings to charity, abandoned his car and most of his possessions, burned all the cash in his wallet, and invented a new life for himself.”

In conclusion, Chris (Alex) McCandless died a happy man, full of joy for the chance to live the life he lived. He enjoyed his adventures, he inspired others and he followed his calling to live off the land. Living through his experiences was not "damn lucky," but faithful actions to live life to it's fullest.

Nature Reading Start

2. Krakauer observes that it is not “unusual for a young man to be drawn to a pursuit considered reckless by his elders.” Explain whether McCandless would agree with Krakauer.

I think McCandless would agree with Krakauer that it is not unusual for a young man to be attracted to pursue something that would be considered reckless by his elders. From what I learned about Chris McCandless (Alex Superchamp), he was a very adventure driven man who had a lot of emotion and spite built up inside of him that was sheltered by his spontaneous and friendly personality. His actions I feel are semi malicious, in the way that he is acting out against the rules that society has placed on him. He despised the fact that Americans are so dependent on materialistic items, therefore acting out in order to prove something to us, himself and his broken family. He knew what he was doing it and why he was doing it. These types of actions are not unusual in people, especially men, with past experiences that have left them feeling alone or unnoticed. They feel they need to take risks in order to test their limits, which after all they had been doing all along at home, testing limits. I believe Chris would agree with Krakauer that it is a natural thing for young men to feel the need to test limits that are seen as reckless by elders close to them.

3. Do you feel, as one letter writer did, that there is “nothing positive at all about Chris McCandless’ lifestyle or wilderness doctrine …surviving a near death experience does not make you a better human it makes you damn lucky” (116); or do you see something admirable or noble in his struggles and adventures? Was he justified in the pain he brought to family and friends in choosing his own solitary course in life?

No I do not see Chris McCandless’ lifestyle in the wilderness was a completely negative experience. It is a very common thing for people to want to be free from society’s borders and rules, causing them to make themselves detached from the world we live in. It is a very risky and selfish action, but then again it is extremely admirable. He did it, something that people wish to have the strength to do, yet wake up the next day to continue the cycle. I feel the pain that he brought upon his family was not intended. He was not upset with them only; he was upset with the world. I believe that as he grew weaker in Alaska, he began to regret a lot of his malicious actions towards them, yet still believed the decision he made was the right one, allowing him to die happily.

Exhibit My Work!

If you are having a professional organization exhibit your work:

I have several ideas about organizations that would exhibit my work at their place of work. Here are a few places I have began thinking of:

Symbolic Motors:

http://www.symbolicmotors.com/

When: After our exhibition->Whenever they take it down

Who: Thomas' step dad! He is a mechanic there.

Trendsetters Hair Salon:

No Website

When: After our exhibition->Whenever they take it down

Who: Owner, Kelly McCarthy

Birch Aquarium:

http://aquarium.ucsd.edu/

When:After our exhibition->Whenever they take it down

Who: Thomas' Aunt!

MSB blog 23

1) City studies the amount of cigarette butts on the beach and their affect on marine life. They also interview San Diego residents about their opinion of the "butts on the beach."

This is important because it helps me get an idea of the types of things I can do to incorporate the public's opinion into my work.

No information is missing.

This ties into my MSB work, in the way of generating the public's opinion, and helping that to flow the writing in the story.

“We’d like to look at the chemicals that are actually causing the toxicity and if they are accumulating in marine life,” Gersberg said.

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2009/nov/09/scientists-take-aim-at-cigarettes/

2)San Diego resident responses to the toll road proposition at Trestles beach.

This is important because this article is almost solely information and opinions. The debate is "well heated" in my opinion which makes it easy to read.

No information missing.

This ties into my MSB work because once again, it includes a lot of random opinions from local residents which allows you to get a look at the views of the people that live there, opposed to the words of politicians and government.

"If public opinion reflects leadership, then the San Diego City Council’s decision not to ratify a resolution opposed to the 241 Toll Road -- the “Highway from Hell” that prompted the SAVE TRESTLES campaign -- affirmed that San Diegans don’t want to be bothered by anything that doesn’t affect San Diego.
The resolution, initiated by Councilwoman Donna Frye, was defeated by a 4-3 vote. “The smart move for the city of San Diego is to stay out of other people’s business,” Councilman Jim Madaffer said in an article in The San Diego Union-Tribune. Yeah councilman, real smart move."

http://www.surfshot.com/Dropping+In/San+Diego+Doesnt+Want+to+Save+Trestles-142424.html

3)Constance's blog about tires being shipped to Mexico

This is a good article because it brings the issue home, and reminds us of the pollution we ship off to other places so that it can pollute their water instead of ours.

This somewhat ties into my MSB work, not as much of the others due to the lack of public opinion and interviews, but nonetheless a good article.

It is missing interviews and public opinions and scientific results.

"California's Integrated Waste Management Board sends millions of tires to Mexico every year to keep them out of California landfills. Many drivers in Mexico wring more road life out of the old tires before finally throwing them out. People also use the discarded tires to build structures like retaining walls and staircases. Come rainy season, thousands of those tires wash back into California."

http://theconstanceblog.blogspot.com/

4)82 healthy sea turtles are hatched at sea world in order to attempt to slow the extinction of this species.

This relates to my project, because I will incorporate a lot of animals in my artwork, and this can be a source I based my inspiration off of.

This doesn't directly tie into my project, but once again can be used for inspirational support for my artwork and posters.

It is missing public's opinion of the moving of the turtles to sea world. It contains interviews from some of the keepers and staff at the (turtle department?)

"They have to do genetic testing to determine whether one turtle laid all the eggs or there were multiple mothers, he said, and SeaWorld crews have to dig up the beach to determine how many eggs failed to hatch."

5)Public complains about desalination act

This is helpful because it contains a large amounts of local san diego resident quotes about their approval on this issue. I could adopt this style of heated argument.

This ties directly into my project because it is mostly about public opinion.

It is not missing anything

"We're going to fight it every step of the way," vowed Eddie Scher, one of several dozen opponents who asked the MWD not to approve the subsidy."

Gatsby and Nick are both somewhat detached from their surroundings. Compare and contrast this sense of detachment. How are they similar and/or different in this respect?

They are both detached from their surroundings in different ways, but it contributes to both of their personalities and actions in the book. An example of this, is Gatsby's earlier mysterious attitude. He reminded me of the man next door from the sandlot that no one knew and was cautious of. He was unknown in the neighborhood on nights other than his parties. He also is privileged higher than most in East Egg. For example when he flashed the cop his white card when he was pulled over for speeding, the cop apologized for bothering him. LEGIT. Nick on the other hand is out of place in general. He seems like the guy who is kind of just along for the ride. He doesn't connect with anyone strongly, except for his admiration of Gatsby. I think they both have their odd attributes that contribute to their "detachment" from their everyday surroundings.

Randy, I was unable to get this page working all night. Can you give me an extension until tomorrow when it will hopefully be accessible?

MSB Blog

Coastkeeper-
www.sdbaykeeper.org

I would want to interview one of the people involved with the collection of data in the water. I would want to do this to be able to hear firsthand of their experiences in the field, and their past water collection tests and process.

Voice 1156
www.voice1156.com

Local artists gallery. I could talk to one of the artists to get an idea of different ways I could integrate art and nature together. I think hearing from an established artist would help me take their ideas and perception.

Jared Callahan
www.nazyouth.org

A close friend/inspiration of mine that works on short films outside of his career. Sundance Film Festival winner. He could not only help me think of creative ways to approach this topic, but also help me talk to the right people for supplies, locations and ideas.

Donna Frye
http://surfermag.com/features/onlineexclusives/citycouncilwipeout/

This article talks about Donna Frye's role in the effort to stop the building of the toll road through San Diego's favorite, Trestles Beach.

Councilman Kevin Faulconer
http://www.surfshot.com/Dropping+In/San+Diego+Doesnt+Want+to+Save+Trestles-142424.html

This article also talks about the issue at Trestles, and Kevin Faulconer's want for the 1 billlion dollar spending to build the toll road. I could talk to him and ask his opinions on how the toll road would affect the wildlife there and the beaches and surfspots around it.

Narrowed Down Question

How is the costal pollution affecting US as well as the marine life?

Sub questions:

• What is San Diego doing to help?


• How long will it be to completely deplete our coastal environment with the rate of pollution and endangerment that we are at now.


• How can we reverse this?

  

  

beachcleanup.org

I came up with some real good ideas about what I can do to make my project stand out. I could take several people and plant a bunch of trees and do a couple beach cleanups. I think this project should go pretty well.

Some Product Ideas

Product 1:
a) Several art pieces designed to exaggerate the pollution levels and wildlife effects
b)

c)
Ideas that I can take from this example:

• Make my point very clear. This is an extremely good example of a well thought out point being made into a visual example.
• Spend a good amount of time making it very detailed.
• One thing this person didn't have was an artist statement explaining his work through making this. I believe this would help people understand his inspiration.

Product 2:

a) Short film/documentary. I don't really know which one yet. I think documentary would be easier but I would like to challenge myself a little.

b)Lebanon: The Oil Spill

c) Things I can take from this video:

• Great footage of the effects of the oil spill and pollution. I need real good footage to make my product stand out from other documentaries.
• What I can add is a personal aspect, maybe relate it closer to the impact it has on the people as well.
• Interviews with people to get their views on coastal matters.

Silent Fighting

On the end of the strip of local bars, shops, pool halls and restaurants in the small town of Guthrie, Kentucky, lies the Holiday Motel, a now rundown business after years of unfortunate events. There were no public pools or parks in Guthrie, so the pool at the Holiday Motel used to be a hot spot for many of the locals in Guthrie. One summer, a couple of black kids paid the two dollars it cost to swim there on a hot day. She says “It was like we sent an electrical charge through the water,” when the white folks jumped out of the water, disgusted at the fact of Ms. Eskridge letting the boys swim. They tried to argue with her to make the boys leave, but the only response to the angry white couples was “kiss my grits,” a modern “kiss my ass”. The pool now lies under several feet of dirt and weeds. Her and her husband buried the pool, rather than make it a place of racial dispute.
This type of action is fairly uncommon in the racial town of Guthrie, Kentucky. People seem to appreciate and support the segregation in town. Klan meetings are not rare, and the occasional cross burnings is not uncommon; KKK propaganda is often passed out at local crowded places such as the traffic coming out of the local church. A doughnut woman standing next to the off duty Klansmen wearing “furry earmuffs, snug booties and green mittens” explains to Tony how her son just joined, and how he is a “Grand Titan already!” These people are townsmen by day and white activists by night. The war is still being fought silently.
That day the Klan handed out 750 flyers to the people of Guthrie; the town that once housed a young man before he was shot out of his car by several black teenagers for flying a confederate flag off the back of his 4x4 Chevrolet. He leaves behind his wife, once young children, mother and father. David Westerman, father of Michael, said something that caught the attention of my classmates and me. He said, “They say that war ended a long time ago. But around here it’s like its still going on.” The Civil War is a war commonly acknowledged as the “end of slavery,” or the “equality for all men, black or white,” led by the famous Abraham Lincoln. Was it really the end? Were the once separated states really brought together? The answer is clear. Freeing the slaves had little to do with the way people see equality. It is evident; the war is still being fought today. People of different races, ethnicities or sexual orientations, are constant victims of discrimination.
Michael Westerman, 19, was killed for flying the confederate flag, which is his old high school’s logo, off the back of his truck. Some people interpret this as a sign of racism or a sign of strong opposition for the South’s joining with the union to form the United States. Michael’s aunt, Brenda, tells Tony about Michael’s affiliation with the flag. She describes his childhood, growing up with the flag displayed on his bedroom wall, bike and car, as she sips coffee from a mug with a centered rebel flag on it. “Michael was raised with that flag, just like my own son…It’s just part of our life.” Tony later talks with Michael’s wife Hannah about Michael’s affiliation with the flag. She explains to him how the flag meant nearly nothing to him besides his pride to graduate from that school. She tells him how Michael didn’t like to go far into the Confederate history. “He didn’t, like, dig into it.” He asks her the significance of the flag on his truck and she replies, “He’d do anything to make his truck look sharp. The truck’s red. The flag’s red. They match.”
Several weeks after his death, the Confederate Flag Day rally had turned into a tribute to Michael Westerman. Many people claimed that Michael “was an avid student of his family’s rebel genealogy and had planned to join their group.” His truck was displayed in the rally as a sign of his allegiance to the Confederacy. These people have re-created his life story, his childhood and his beliefs, to make it seem as if he died protecting the meaning of the flag.
The people of Guthrie, Kentucky have helped me see the wide majority of people not only in the South, but everywhere that are so poorly and wrongly educated. The war is being fought silently. It is no longer North vs. South, Union vs. Confederate. It is now white extremists, against all that go against their beliefs. It is very visible to see how this town’s opinions have influenced its residents and nearby communities. Will the war stop? Will the violent crimes against those who are different then you ever stop? I do not believe so. Someone always has to be better then the other guy.

Horwitz, Tony. Dying for Dixie. Confederates In The Attic. Pantheon, 1998. Print.

Reconstruction

Reconstruction- The period after the civil war in which American Society was rebuilt.

What went well?

• The 13th amendment, the amendment in which the slaves were "freed" was a pretty good outcome of reconstruction.
• We would all love to think that the 14th amendment, the law making freed slaves citizens, although the law was actually formed for buisnessmen with large corporations. Out of the 150 cases, only 15 involved African Americans.
• The 15th amendment was good, because it gave every man the opportunity to vote. Although this was a very dangerous act for the African Americans. Red Shirts, a terrorist group much like the KKK would collect the information of the blacks that had voted, and often times, killed them and their entire family later that week.

What didn't go so well?

• Pretty much everything.
• Black Codes were formed to limit the freedoms of African Americans
• Terrorist groups such as the Red Shirts, The White League and the Ku Klux Klan were formed by confederate veterans.
• Democrats controlled the south, killing pretty much all the people that got in their way.

Reconstruction...Today?

Yes, reconstruction is still going on today. Daily, new laws are being formed and voted on to make America more equal. At the same time, there are many people working against this in order to keep America dominated by white men. People still believe that whites are more superior.

News Story:http://current.com/items/89207182_la-teen-who-hung-nooses-gets-4-months-in-prison.htm

Teen hung a noose at a civil rights protest for 4 black kids that were accused of attacking a white teen.

"Jeremiah Munsen, 19, pleaded guilty to federal hate crime charges for dangling nooses from the back of a pickup in September and driving past a group of protesters at a bus depot in Alexandria, Louisiana, about 35 miles south of Jena, where the marches took place."

Ideas..

Some ideas I have for the MSTB project are:

Interactive exhibit, somewhere in the main commons
Art Piece
Short Film (a little less educational, but modern, attractive and informative)

I really want to cover the subject of public awarness. I think it is a subject with a lot of room for creativity. You know me, I want to get the information out, but make people laugh as well.

Done

I began to play, cringing at the sound of each drum being hit. I didn't mind, the sound of the rusted rim and weathered head of the navy blue Sunlite, for it was better than the sound of my playing at the time. After 8 months of playing these navy blue rust buckets early 2008, my father decided it was time to make an investment in my future.

I considered my new Gretsch, Catalina Birch drum kit more my own then my body itself. The shades of the autumn burst took me to a Midwest town in November; the sap of the trees, and un-raked leaves in the front yard, seemed as if they had made their way to the fade of my drums .My eyes never left them until the night had made way with me, and even then, my sub-conscious mind was filled with nothing but dreams of my endless days to come of timeless playing. It was that day I realized I wanted nothing else of my teenage life then to make drums of my own, in hopes that one day I could re-place the smile that hung on my face as I slept, onto another aspiring musician like myself.

Today, as I sit in a different house, with different drums, different people, different dreams and aspirations for my future, one thing seizes to change. My passion for drums and the process of making a beautiful drum is a fire that can not be put out. Mike Ciprari, a once aspiring musician such as myself, set off in the direction I have needed no map to follow. Starting off as a drummer touring the world with a band, his brother Scott stayed home to begin working on a custom drum kit for him to take to college with him. When people saw the finished product, they wanted a piece of his artistry for themselves. Mike quit touring with his band in order to make custom drums with his brother for a great multitude of people. Such detail is put into each drum made by SJC, that it makes you feel as if you are purchasing a piece of artwork. Is it the curve of the bass drum, the shimmer of the acrylic, the perfect offset of each golden lug that ever so royally hold my drums together? Or is it the hours upon hours put into making pieces of wood, plastic and metal represent who you are. Mike makes the vision of a drum set become more real then you ever expected it to be. When Miley Cyrus’ production manager contacted SJC needing 2 drum sets and 5 snare drums in 24 hours, Mike hesitated not one minute to make it happen. It was no different for me. When I called to order my drums, they were out of the shop in Wisconsin and back to me in a week and 3 days. He treats every customer on a personal level making the usual stressful process of buying a drum kit, a very easy decision.

The collaborative effort to find a sponsor to purchase my new drums was completed on July 22nd 2009. As it was carried into the first floor music room, the same glowing smile was hung upon my face once more.

Today, the rust buckets are no longer that. They have been stripped of their parts and broken down into their original wooden shells. A new process has begun; a refurbishing of the old drum kit as my first complete custom drum project. It will be finished one day, and when people look at it, and watch me play; no one will know that this is where I started.

Reflection.

I discovered a lot about my writing through this project. I thought I wouldn't have to do much revising in this paper. I thought I would have been good enough to turn it on the first day. As I look back on my first draft, it was nothing like the final draft that I finished with. My writing improved greatly from revision of the drafts. One specific writing technique I used was the technique of flashback which is the act of stepping back in time from a current point in a story to recall or explain a story. I took the audience to a different point in my past, the first drum kit I ever owned myself, and described a lot of the emotions that were running through my head when I got it. I think it had a very positive effect on my writing. It let me use description to paint a picture in the audience's heads. If I had time to do another draft, I think I would include more description and tighten up my stories a little better."The shades of the autumn burst took me to a Midwest town in November; the sap of the trees, and un-raked leaves in the front yard, seemed as if they had made their way to the fade of my drums ." I think this sentence is good because I use a lot of description and a strong similie to add a little more. Thats about it!

Picture

First Draft Summary

In class today we critiqued each others first draft. The main points I saw needed fixing on mine were adding a bit more about my icon, omitting some sentences to get rid of unnecessary text, establish more of a connection between my icon and OTHER people as well.

It went good today. I plan on taking out several sentences to free up some space for creativity and alterations. I feel like I need to talk more about my icon. That is about it. Stoked for tomorrows revisions.

Here is a new draft:

I began to play, cringing at the sound of each drum being hit. I didn't mind, the sound of the rusted rim and weathered head of the navy blue Sunlite, for it was better than the sound of my playing at the time. After 8 months of playing these navy blue rust buckets early 2008, my father decided it was time to make an investment in my future.
I considered my new Gretsch, Catalina Birch drum kit more my own then my body itself. The shades of the autumn burst took me to a Midwest town in November; the sap of the trees, and un-raked leaves in the front yard, seemed as if they had made their way to the fade of my drums .My eyes never left them until the night had made way with me, and even then, my sub-conscious mind was filled with nothing but dreams of my endless days to come of timeless playing. It was that day I realized I wanted nothing else of my teenage life then to make drums of my own, in hopes that one day I could re-place the smile that hung on my face as I slept, onto another aspiring musician like myself.

Today, as I sit in a different house, with different drums, different people, different dreams and aspirations for my future, one thing seizes to change. My passion for drums and the process of making a beautiful drum is a fire that can not be put out. Mike Ciprari, a once aspiring musician such as myself, set off in the I have needed no map to follow. Starting off as a drummer touring the world with a band, his brother Scott stayed home to begin working on a custom drum kit for him to take to college with him. When people saw the finished product, they wanted a piece of his artistry for themselves. Mike quit touring with his band in order to make custom drums with his brother for a great multitude of people. Such detail is put into each drum made by SJC, that it makes you feel as if you are purchasing a piece of artwork. Is it the curve of the bass drum, the shimmer of the acrylic, the perfect offset of each golden lug that ever so royally hold my drums together? Or is it the hours upon hours put into making pieces of wood, plastic and metal represent who you are. Mike makes the vision of a drum set become more real then you ever expected it to be.

The collaborative effort to find a sponsor to purchase my new drums was completed on July 22nd 2009. Ups delivered my custom kit by SJC Drums, a company that makes your dream, your vision, your imagination, become a reality much greater then you ever expected. As it was carried into the first floor music room, the same glowing smile was hung upon my face once more. Such detail is put into each drum made by SJC, that it makes you almost feel as if you are purchasing a piece of artwork. Is it the curve of the bass drum, the shimmer of the acrylic, the perfect offset of each golden lug that ever so classy hold the drums together? Or is it the hours upon hours put into making pieces of wood, plastic and metal represent who you are.

Today, the rust buckets are no longer that. They have been stripped of their parts and broken down into their original wooden shells. A new process has begun; a refurbishing of the old drum kit as my first complete custom drum project. It will be finished one day, and when people look at it, and watch me play; no one will know that this is where I started.

Photo Skillage

Contrast-
This improves the photo by making it a little more defined. Soloing in only on the dark parts of the face/head such as:
Hair
Eyes

Lips

Nostrils
Chin Shadow (light)

I like to use a lot of contrast in my pictures because it makes the audience focus more on the dark/light contrast of a certain pictures features, often highlighting edges and curves.

Rule Of Thirds
A picture is too boring if your object is in the center of everything. It doesn't look right. In order to fix this, people use the rule of third, placing their main object/objects in seperate boxes. It is like a tick tack toe board. Never center your object in the middle, always have it off in another box. This will make your picture and the objects in your picture, more even with the background, giving it room.

Backlight

Backlight improves alot in a photo. If a picture or shot is too dark, add a backlight to highlight such things such as outlines, curves, objects etc. Using a backlight can add a cool almost edited or photoshopped look to you picture.

Reconsideration...

I took a look at all of my icons and I realized, there is not one that really emotionally impacts me. I did a little reconsideration about my icons and stumbled upon a man that has influenced me a lot, and provided amazing things for some pretty important people. His name is Mike Ciprari. Him and his brother Scott are the owners of SJC Custom Drum Company. Mike has been playing drums for 14 years, since he was nine years old. He fixed up an old drum kit of his when he went to college, so he could have it closer, and when people started seeing his work, many wanted one of their own.

Mike inspires me because he took a little hobby of his, and was able to form a career out of it. He goes to work everyday loving every minute of it. Making custom drums for bands such as Panic! At The Disco, All Time Low, Gym Class Heroes, Cobra Starship, Boys Like Girls, Miley Cyrus, Dr. Dre and hundreds more including myself.

I could take his inspiration, and form it into something of my own. I have been meaning to make a custom kit of my own for a while now, but just haven't found the money or drive to do it yet. After getting a custom kit from them, it has been making me want to start the project more and more everyday.

Helping Hand

Dane Cook- Web
http://comedians.comedycentral.com/dane-cook
^provides press quotes about Dane Cook
"comedian phenom and icon" by Entertainment Weekly..."

http://www.danecook.com
^personal website. provides biography, followings, video and more.

http://www.hbo.com/tourgasm/interviews/dc_livechat.html
^interview on tourgasm

Video
Harmful If Swallowed
Retaliation
Rough Around The Edges
Tourgasm
Vicious Circle

Music
I'll Never Be You
Forward

Mike Ciprari- Web
SJC Custom Drums
^home website for SJC
includes full list of Bands&Artists they work with
includes testimonials from well known drummers
includes brief bio given by Mike

Interview
Mike Ciprari Interview
^provides great information for background about SJC
provides more bio info about him and company
provides his inspriation

Art/Photography

Copyright 2008 SJC Drums, All Rights Reserved
Steven Colbert- Web
Colbert Nation
^includes bio, history, followers, opinions, shows
useful for background info, as well as current news/shows of his

Podcasts
The Show
Mon-Thurs 11:30pm/10:30c
^Provides weekly information and opinions by Steven Colbert
Provides more information about other peoples views of him

Books
I Am America ( And So Can You!)
^this could possibly give me more info on his inspiration and icons
i have yet to read this so, it is hard to tell what the mood of the book is.
could be informative

America Makes Some Good Babies

Dane Cook. Apparently he is Harmful If Swallowed, a little Rough Around The Edges and much more, to over 450,000 fans that pay for his hit stand-up comedy series. Dane Cook is known for being a very energetic comedian, with a style that is very original. "I wanted to create a stage persona for myself that allowed me to really speak about anything I want... So I can be a storyteller, I can be jokey, I can be corny, I can be a little vulgar, I can be a lot vulgar. And I'm not afraid to go anywhere to get the point of the joke across, even if I have to just blabber like an idiot until it becomes apparent that I'm telling a joke and that the audience should laugh" says Dane Cook about himself. He hit the nail on the head. Taking influence and inspiration from such people as Steve Martin, Bill Cosby, Johnny Carson and George Carlin, Dane Cook sets the path as the best selling comedian in 27 years from hitting double platinum on his album Retaliation that dropped mid 2007.

This icon is important to me because it shows me that you don't have to be an engineer, a scientist, a chemist, a computer tech or a lawyer to make a living. You have to be able to laugh and make others laugh as well. I was watching a movie at the movie theater and a Dane Cook quote came across the screen. It went something like, I would rather re-live high school than ever re-learn stand up. That struck me because it seems like it comes so naturally to him, but apparently it is something that took him years upon years of practice, success, failure and hardship. Dane Cook wove his way into American culture very subtly. He began his career when he was 18, traveling doing small gigs as any craftsman does to promote himself. From actor, to musician, to comedian to hit sensation with over 500,000 hits on his website and over 2,300,000 myspace fans, I think it is fair to say he has made an impression on several people.

Willi Fleming. Local Hero, Musician, Pioneer and most importantly...inspiration. Willi began playing trombone freshman year at Saint Augustine high school here in San Diego. There, he joined the school band and met fellow band members Lucas, Ivan, Frankie, Ernie, Kevin, and Ernesto. Their first day of band, their instructor gave them words of wisdom. He told them, the most important rule in music is "Bucket Of Fish," a Latin percussion fill with a catchy name. It stuck with all the men in the band enough to use as a band name.

Today, 3 years later, they have played with bands such as Dr.Skavra, EPZ, Straight Trippin, The Skank Agents, Captain Squeegee, Grim Luck, Social Green, Mike Pinto, Half Past Two, Buck- O- Nine and many more. I don't expect many people to know of any of the bands listed, but to me and many other people who are fans of beautiful, loving, happy music, it is nothing but inspiration.

Willi takes inspiration from all those bands and more such as Sublime and Bob Marley, pioneers in the genre of music he chooses to play. Instead of singing about getting women, and gang banging(which I know is awesome) he sings about things such as superhero manatees that come to save the day against supervillain sea creatures, songs that have that special "rudi-ring" that lift you off the ground on a bad day, as well as historical figures such as Ferdinand Magellan. He inspires me because he loves nothing more than playing music. We often joke about his fame in San Diego which is slim, although wherever me and my band go with him, we will publicly announce his arrival at any sort of event like a celebrity. We spread such rumors of him walking on water or floating upon clouds in heaven that only the Willi Fleming fans would believe with every ounce of their soul. I would consider his vote for presidency if the day ever came.


Steven Colbert. America in a man. He studied acting at Northwestern College, then went off to join the Second City Comedy group birthing many celebritys such as Mike Myers, Eugene Levy, Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Nia Vardalos, Steve Carell, Andy Dick and Bill Murray. In 1995, him and colleagues Amy Sedaris and Paul Dinello formed the sketch comedy Exit 57 on Comedy Central. When this show ended after its two seasons, he got a job starring as "the new guy" on The Daily Show with John Stewart. After several years there, in 2005 The Colbert Report was created. A show of his own which tunes in an average of 1.5 million viewers.

He is an iconic figure because he does what not many people can do. He turns polotics into something laughable. He is not only an actor or comedian, he is a dancer, singer and writer. He brings all of these to his comedy show which makes him different than all others. He can entertain like most cant. I think it is something that leaves people laughing about him later. I find that a skill that will benefit you more than knowing how to find the area of a triangle or knowing what the quadratic formula is. Just my opinion.

Steven Colbert draws inspiration from a lot of the people or alumni of The Second City comedy group. You can find a full list of members at http://www.secondcity.com/

Goals For The Year

I have some goals for this year. I hope to gain a better understanding of the people I have in my class. I was a little nervous when I first found out who my teachers were and who I had in my classes. After the little time I spent thinking about how much I wanted to be in the same class as all of my close friends, I realized this is probably the better environment for me to get more work done, and done well.

One goal I have is to be extremely prepared for the SAT. I have been stressing about it for so long because I am not a goot test taker, but I am up for the challenge due to the severity of my success on the test. Another goal I have is to get a little more sleep in the night. I say this every year but I mean it. Im tired.

I hope to accomplish a new understanding of our civilization and history through Humanities. I hope to learn more about the experiences of others and the opinions of others through reading, writing and listening in class. I really hope to incorporate music&art together a lot this year in my work since I feel those are two strong points that I have, and I feel when put together, make good work great work. I also hope to develop stronger work habits. I need to concentrate more and I can work harder on placing myself in the right situations to do so.